The waiting game :-)

Just wanted to update everyone that we are cruising along...the little guy is happy hanging out where he is for now. Don't think this will be a 2008 baby unless he comes really quick! I have been feeling some increased pelvic pressure and he is still very active so it really could be any day. This week I experienced some strange rash on my face that the doctors couldn't figure out but it is getting better so I am just thinking it had something to do with the hormones...can't think of anything I ate that I could have had an allergic reaction to. We will keep you all posted.
Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas! May your hearts be full of happiness this holiday season and may you be surrounded by the love of family and friends.

Hugs, Greg, Maggie, Calie and Baby

38 weeks pregnant

Christmas day completes 38 weeks pregnant! As you can see I have quite the belly :-) It is up to the little guy as to when he will arrive so we are waiting and enjoying a white wonderland for the holiday season.

Eleventh doctor visit

The waiting game has begun. Today we had our 38 week appointment and all is well. Vitals are good and the little guy is still in a great position for delivery...it is just up to him as to when he is ready to arrive. The doctor said it could be any day...but he could be happy where he is for weeks. We are happy with whatever he decides. I am feeling good - no complaints. We are very, very excited that the time to meet our precious one is so close. I had the car seat check done by the fire department today and have our bag in the car all ready to go so we are feeling prepared. We will be sure to keep you all posted.

Enjoying a wintery day

Awwww...it is the weekend. After a long work week we are very happy to have a relaxing weekend to enjoy. Each year we get a new ornament for our tree so we plan to go to a local store and see what we can find. Temperatures are cold but the sun is shining and the white wonderland is quite pretty. Not having any contractions beyond braxton hicks. The little one has been resting his foot in my ribs which has become fairly bruised :-) We will be sure to keep you all posted - enjoy the weekend!

Tenth doctor visit

It seems that our little guy is quickly approaching his arrival! At our 37 week doctor visit today the doctor informed us that I am 75% effaced and the little man is VERY low...+1 station. The doctor predicts that I will not make it to the due date and thinks more like 1-2 weeks early! So we will see how that prediction goes. All vitals are good and being that we are to full term it is just a waiting game now. I am trying to get work matters in order this week just in case. We have our hospital bag packed and just a few final details will be wrapped up this week. We pre-registered at the hospital last week and got to have a very thorough tour with one of the labor nurses. We can't wait to share his arrival with you all!

Winter has arrived!

Over the past few days we have received about 6-8" of snow at lake level and lots more in the high country. This morning is a world of whirling snows, dark skies and cold temperatures. The plow guy came to clear the driveway this morning...first time of the season and it's December 15th! The resorts are certainly happy to have the snow and it will be nice to have a white Christmas.

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree...

Yesterday we picked out our Christmas tree and decorated the house inside and out. We continued our tradition of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies while decorating the tree and watching the movie Elf. We are certainly feeling in the spirit of the holidays. We hope that everyone is having a wonderful and joyous holiday season!

36 weeks

So today we complete 36 weeks. One more week and doctors will consider the pregnancy full term - amazing! 4 more weeks to the due date. Our little guy is still moving all around - as best he can in the limited space that he has in there. I am feeling my joints shifting a bit and finding myself waddling every now and again. I keep forgetting how big my belly is and run into things from time to time. Even Greg runs into me - keeps us laughing! We will keep you all updated so stay posted.

Baby's cradle

The little one's cradle is all ready for his arrival. This cradle was made for Greg by his grandfather John Charles - so special that we have it to use for our little guy - and let's hope that he sleeps better than his daddy! :-) It will be very exciting the day we come home with our bundle of joy. Greg and I can already imagine ourselves looking at him sleeping in there with hearts so full of love.

8 months pregnant

We have completed month 8 as of Thursday. Amazing that we are already to the last month and starting 36 weeks! I am having quite a few braxton hicks contractions these days and my belly is growing...growing. I am continuing to feeling great - he is still very active for sure - a few jabs to the ribs every now and again cause me to catch my breath. We have the cradle all set up in our room and ready for his arrival. Greg and I have some shopping to get done this week but overall we are feeling prepared for our little guy. Within the next month or so you will all be able to actually see pictures of our precious baby!

Ninth doctor visit

Today we had our ninth doctor visit. We are halfway through 35 weeks and all is great. The baby is measuring great and heartbeat is good. He is head down and in a good delivery position. I am still feeling wonderful and soaking up every minute of pregnancy. I have good energy and am not feeling too tired...just have to watch myself to not overdue it. We finished our birthing classes and are ready for our little one whenever he is ready to arrive!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Greg, Maggie, Baby and Calie wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are so very thankful for all our family and friends and send hugs to everyone!

Wonderful weather

This weekend was gorgeous...temperatures in the 60's in mid-November in Tahoe....awww! I went for a long walk today and was just loving the bright blue sky, warm weather and fresh air. I know that the ski resorts want snow but I am going to soak up this wonderful weather for as long as it lasts.

Eighth doctor visit

We are now going to the doctor every two weeks so the appointments really come up quick it seems. We had our eighth doctor visit on Thursday. The little guys heartbeat is still strong - in the high 140's. He is maintaining a head down position with his back on the left side...this will be good for labor if he stays there. He loves to give me kicks and punches on my right side and lots of movement all over. We are now starting 33 weeks - he will be growing a lot in the next few weeks - packing on the pounds. The doctor is happy with my weight gain and I am continuing the feel great! Excitement is certainly building for us and we can't wait to meet our precious baby!

In memory of Grandpa Harry

A little more than a year ago the family was blessed to share a wonderful 90th birthday celebration with Grandpa Harry. He passed away a week ago at 91 years old. Greg was able to join all the family for the service in Miami. Grandpa will truly be missed by all! He was certainly a wonderful man that lived a great life. Greg and I are sad that our little guy won't be able to meet his great grandfather but we will be sure to share stories and pictures with him. We love you Grandpa and you will always be in our hearts!

7 month picture

Here is my 7 month picture. Just finished 31 weeks on Thursday. My belly is continuing to grow and so is our little man. He continues to move around a ton and I love the activity. Today I finished putting the cradle together. I am going to make a special blanket for his cradle so once I have that done I will get a picture up. We are going to our birthing classes this month so we will be all prepared once the big day comes. I have a feeling that month 8 is going to fly by as quickly as the past 7 have...certainly in the home stretch!

Follow-up ultrasound

Yesterday we had our follow-up ultrasound with a maternal fetal specialist in Reno. At our 19 week ultrasound they had found that the baby's right kidney had a minor dilation (4.5mm and they wanted it below 4.0mm). The doctors had told us that there was over a 50% chance that it would resolve itself in the womb and scheduled a follow-up for us. The right kidney has not changed which is a good thing and the 4.5mm is now within normal parameters for this stage of gestation. The left kidney has grown to 4.3mm. The doctor stated that they like to see between 4.0mm and 5.0mm at 31 weeks, so it appears to have resolved itself. The doctor will send a recommendation that our pediatrician order an ultrasound 3-7 days after he is born to make sure that there is not a reflux issue, but odds are all will be healthy and good. Greg and I are so very, very relieved! All other organs still look great and his measurements were right on the 50th percentile. He is approx. 3lb, 11oz. Her guess is that he will weigh about 7 1/2 pounds at birth. It was fun to see him again and find out how he is positioned. He remains head down with his back on my left side and his legs and arms tucked in on my right side...that explains all the kicks and nudges on the right side :-)

Thanks to everyone for your good thoughts and prayers...it has meant so much to us!

7 months pregnant and seventh doctor visit

Today completes month 7! We start 31 weeks tomorrow and are happily cruising along. We had our seventh doctor visit today and our little guy is growing right on track. His heartbeat is still great and we are eager for our followup ultrasound on the kidneys next week. We start our birthing classes on Monday. I am feeling great and continuing to love pregnancy. We are so excited that in a couple months we will be holding, hugging and snuggling with our precious little one!

Our nephew has arrived!

Ryan and Julie welcomed their bundle of joy into their family today. Trevor Michael Adams was born at 4:31 pm - 7 lbs., 11 oz., 20 inches long. Congratulations to the proud mom and dad! - we love you all and can't wait to meet our precious nephew!

Fall colors in Tahoe

Our trip to sunny San Diego

Tailgating before the Jimmy Buffet concert

Excited for our little guys "first" concert...our future parrothead!
Nothing like brothers...these guys love hanging out
Kellie and Maggie ready for dinner after a great day walking around the Gaslamp District and chillin' out by the pool

We just got home from a great 3 day trip to San Diego for the Jimmy Buffet concert and to hang out with Ryan and Kellie. They ran in the Chicago Marathon last Sunday and headed west for the concert and some rest and relaxation. We had a great visit and enjoyed the warm weather and good times of the San Diego area. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Gaslamp District. It was a very cool hotel and the location was great. Jimmy Buffet was tons of fun...and he helped the guys stay on track for it being 5 o'clock somewhere :-) Hee hee!

A taste of winter!

Here are pictures of what we woke up to last weekend. October 11th is a bit early for snow in our opinion and we are glad that it has warmed back up.

Sixth doctor visit

Today was our 28 week appointment and all is great! Our little guy measured right on size, my weight gain was good and the heartbeat is still in the 150's. My glucose challenge test came back good and no issue of anemia either. We will start going to the doctor every 2 weeks moving forward and will have our follow up ultrasound in a couple weeks. I am feeling really good in the start of the third trimester and look forward to growing and making more room for the little one over the next 12 weeks. The baby is about 2 pounds and will start packing on the weight every week. Greg and I are so excited to meet our little guy in just a few months!

Fall is certainly here...

Each morning I try to get in my 1 1/2 mile loop around the neighborhood. I love the time to exercise, enjoy the quite time and breath in the Tahoe air. Over the past couple weeks I have realized that fall is certainly here as I went from my short sleeve shirt to a sweatshirt to a beanie and this morning even all those layers left me a little chilly. It appears be time for gloves and a couple more layers! I figure I will just keep layering up until the snow flies and I can't be out walking on the slippery snow and ice. The aspens are turning yellow and pine needles are covering everything...certainly beautiful for sure! I will try to get some pictures up of the colors this week.

Third trimester

Ok, here is the picture of me at 27 weeks and the start of the third trimester.

6 months pregnant

Another month has flown by...we have completed month 6 and are forging ahead into the 3rd trimester - WOW! I am feeling wonderful and so enjoying pregnancy. As many have commented to me "your belly has really blossomed in the past couple weeks". I will get a picture up within the next couple days for all to see. Our little man is still moving a ton and it is so much fun. Sometimes at work I catch myself looking down to see my belly moving all around - slight distraction but certainly a good one. As he grows the movements are much stronger...Greg commented last night that sometimes he thinks he is going to push right out of my belly - HA.

Fifth doctor visit

Today we had our 24 week appointment. It was short and sweet...and we are cruising right along. Our little guys heartbeat remains strong - around 160. The fundal height measured a little small but the doctor indicated that he thinks that it was the babies position (he was hanging out on his side). I gained 4 pounds in the last 4 weeks so that is on target. I get to do the glucose test in the next couple weeks...the drinking of the sweet syrup...yummy - hee hee. Other than that all is well. My belly continues to stretch and grow. Mommy and Daddy are loving the movement from our little man. So much fun!!!

Pregnant sisters

I just spent the weekend in Southern California for my sister-in-law Julie's baby shower. Ryan and Julie are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their little guy within the next 6 weeks. Mom and I were able to see the baby's room and help with washing and organizing all the adorable little outfits for my nephew. It has been fun to be able to chat with Julie and be pregnant at the same time. I certainly wish that we lived closer!

5 months pregnant

So yesterday was the completion of month 5 and 21 weeks. Our little man is having quite the growth spurt...and as you can see so is mom too! He is a very active guy. Last night Greg and I spent much of the evening watching my belly as he moved all around and gave us a show of punches, kicks and somersaults. Seemed that the more we laughed and smiled the more he was on the go. Oh, the excitement of this miracle continues...

20 weeks...the halfway mark

Well today completes 20 weeks - the halfway point of my pregnancy. Greg and I can hardly believe how quickly time is going by. January is going to be here before we know it. It will be truly amazing the day we can hold our little guy in our arms and snuggle with him. His bones are certainly beginning to harden as the flutters and movements that had been light are becoming fairly strong. He is very active so I am getting some good kicks and pokes throughout the day...certainly fun and entertaining. I can only imagine what it will be like when he is 5+ pounds and not his current weight of under a pound :-)
I have finally made my way into maternity clothes this past week. And I am slowly adjusting to sleeping on my side...rough process as I seem to find my way onto my back more often than not. I am getting in a 30 minute walk most days which feels great. Don't think I could ask for a better time of year to be in the second trimester. The first 20 weeks have been amazing and I have a feeling the next 20 weeks are going to be even more so!

Fourth doctor visit

We had our 20 week doctor appointment today. Amazing that tomorrow is the halfway mark of the pregnancy...how time flies! We received the results of the ultrasound from the doctor and all looks good with the exception of a slightly dilated right kidney. The doctor was not overly concerned but will be sending us for another ultrasound at week 30 to see the status of the kidneys. Hopefully it will resolve itself before our little bundle of joy is born! The amniotic fluid levels were good so the dilation has not affected that which is good news. And we were able to hear his heart beat again...around 144 now! So, please send good thoughts to our little guy that his kidney dilation resolves and that he continues on a healthy track.

That's my boy!

We had our 5 month ultrasound last night and words can't describe how amazing it was. Little fingers, toes, arms, legs, ears and a button nose. Seeing all the organs and knowing that all is well was so comforting. We were hoping to find out the gender but know that little ones don't always agree with letting you find out. Shortly after starting the technician said that our little one wasn't shy and we were definitely having a BOY. We received some great pictures to take home. Our little guy is silly, standing on his head, resting his hand on his knee and he loves to move all about. Sharing the news with all our family and friends has been so fun. Everyone's excitement makes us smile...if smiling any more is possible :-)

Baby is growing...

Over the past couple of weeks this little one has been on a mission to grow I think. My belly has been stretching like crazy...or at least it feels that way. I have also been feeling a lot of flutters and movement. After I do yoga it feels like the baby is doing flips in there! Greg was able to feel his precious little one for the first time a week ago which was very, very exciting. Can't believe that we are almost halfway through the pregnancy. Such an amazing journey and we are loving every minute of it!

Baby's first Shakespeare

Ok, I know, the baby in still in the womb, but they say at 18 weeks the baby can start to hear sounds. :-) On Saturday night we enjoyed a wonderful performance of Richard III at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival in Sand Harbor. The backdrop of Lake Tahoe and an amazing sky full of stars was the perfect setting for an evening of entertainment. Even though this is a darker play than most for Shakespeare we found the performance to be funny, spirited and full of great actors and actresses. And the limited battle scenes we choreographed quite well. Certainly a performance we would recommend to all.

4 months pregnant

Today marks the end of week 17 and four months. Many of you have been asking how much my belly has grown. So here is a picture of my baby bump. The doctor told us that the baby is on track for size and will be having a growth spurt in month 5.

Third doctor visit

We had our 16 week visit today. It was a quick appointment but wonderful to know that all is well. We were able to hear the heartbeat again - 156 beats per minute. The baby growth is on track and all is good. We scheduled our 5 month ultrasound for the middle of August so we are looking forward to that. We are going to find out the gender and they will be able to check all the organs and have a visual that the baby is healthy and well. So we are cruising along and doing great!

Our third anniversary

View from our room

Greg and Maggie in Squaw Valley meadow

Truckee River

Greg and I celebrated our third anniversary this weekend. Greg planned a wonderful and relaxing weekend in Olympic Valley for us. We stayed at the Resort at Squaw Creek in a suite overlooking the mountains. The view was so beautiful and reminded us of our wedding day. We had a wonderful dinner at Six Peaks on Friday night. Saturday we enjoyed a delicious room service breakfast. We took a late morning ride along the Truckee River. The afternoon was spent relaxing by the pool and soaking up the views. I was spoiled with a trip to the spa for a prenatal massage that put me into a great state of relaxation. Our evening was started with an adventure walk on a walking trail to the Village at Squaw that turned out to be more of a hiking trail that was overgrown and turned into a creek in places. The flip flops proved to be a challenge so we bailed onto the greens of the golf course and completed the trek. We enjoyed a couple drinks at the Blue Coyote. It is where the High Sierra Grille used to be (the place we had our reception). The decor is much the same and it was fun to hang out there and reminisce. We enjoyed dinner at a Japanese restaurant. On Sunday we had a leisurely morning and then took pictures in the meadow where our wedding pictures were taken. The short drive home was great. Nice to have a vacation in our own back yard. Enjoy some pictures from our weekend.

The mountains are back

With all these fires in California we have had a very smoky summer. For weeks the mountains around the lake have been hidden behind a haze of smoke. Today I was so excited to actually be able to look out at the lake and see the mountains...and clearly at that. It is a bit windy today so that is probably helping to keep the air clearer and the sky is so blue. I know that our lungs are appreciating the clean air too.

Congratulations Ryan and Julie!

Ryan and Julie found out today that they are having a boy! Greg and I are so happy for them and can't wait for the arrival of our nephew in October. Congratulations to the mom and dad to be!

3 months pregnant

We have just completed month three so here is a picture. I have gained one pound. My belly is not growing yet...but I imagine I will pop in month four. I am feeling much better and looking forward to a great second trimester during summertime! My energy is back to normal and the nausea is fading away. Greg was so awesome during this first trimester. He took care of everything for me and has been so supportive...many, many thanks to daddy!

Second doctor visit!

Greg and I had our 12 week appointment with the doctor today. The doctor was hopeful that we would be able to hear the heartbeat but said that we may not yet. As he put the Doppler to my belly he was very pleased at how immediate it was to find a strong heartbeat. He said that it was about 150 beats per minute. It was so cool to hear our precious little ones heartbeat for the first time. We have so much love for our baby already!!! The doctor said that all my blood work was great and that all is going well. We will go back for our next appointment at the end of July. So today starts month four. Hard to believe that three months have already gone by...what an amazing journey.

Another year - Happy Birthday Greg!

Greg and Koson at Kings Beach State Park

Ryan, Julie and Greg at Lone Eagle Grille

The June birth month has been a good one. We have accomplished a lot around our house but also found time to enjoy the little things and relax in beautiful Tahoe. We had a fun birthday weekend for Greg. Ryan and Julie flew in on Saturday and we went to the Truckee Optomist Brew Fest. We had a great evening out at Caliente visiting and catching up. On Sunday I made breakfast and we started the day with a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Greg. We also toasted to the first unofficial Father's Day for Ryan and Greg. Both are very excited dads to be. A relaxing day at the beach followed. Heidi, Jerry, Koson and Keadle joined us at Kings Beach and we soaked up the sun, dipped our toes into the lake (it is still quite cold) and enjoyed a chill afternoon. On our walk home we stopped and enjoyed gelato...yum! Our evening was completed with a delicious dinner at Lone Eagle Grille in Incline. Here's to year 31 - it's going to be a great one...we just know it!

Patio progress...

After much hard work of moving 2 tons of flagstone and a 1 yard of sand up to the patio area, Greg was certainly exhausted. We spent two evenings finishing the patio. It was a bit like a puzzle finding the right pieces to fit together but we feel good about the way it turned out. We filled all the cracks with sand and will continue filling as the sand settles and sinks between the stones. Our final step will be to plant Irish moss seed in the gaps between the stones. We look forward to many days and nights enjoying the patio. We also plan to plant some bushes along the sides and have tiki torches to put up as well.

Building our patio

This week our patio area was graded down 4 inches so that we could lay stone. Today we put down 2 inches of sand and Greg did all the work of designing and laying the stone. We used granite for the center and then a stone that was in the backyard of the house I grew up in for the remaining area. We now need to get additional stone for do the sides to complete the patio. Here are some pictures of our progress. We are hoping to have it all finished next week. We will be planting Irish moss in the gaps between the stones. We love to sit out in this patio, relax, enjoy meals, or have an evening fire in our firepit table. Our yard is coming along...slowly but surely. We will keep you posted with the progress.

2 months pregnant

Ok, we will be posting pictures of me each month so everyone can see my belly grow. I haven't gained any weight yet...

I am truly amazed how this little one can make me so tired. I am certainly taking advantage of this opportunity to sleep now as all moms tell me enjoy it while I can!

First doctor visit

Yesterday was an amazing day...one that will certainly be in our memories forever! We had our first doctor visit. It was incredible to see our baby on the ultrasound for the first time and see a strong heartbeat. The moment that we could see the little one on the screen filled our hearts with so much happiness and pure excitement. The doctor sized the baby at 8 weeks and 1 day which is very close to our estimate. I don't think we could be happier...what a beautiful miracle!

Our journey begins

We have started this blog as a place for family and friends to visit and keep up-to-date with what is going on in our lives. We hope that everyone enjoys!